Improved jaws foe steel teaps



JAWS- b? STEEL'TRAPS.

71644 PATENTED DEC 3l867 gutter: tetra atwt ffitr;

WILL 1AM RICHTER, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO S. D. NEWBRO, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 71,644, dated December 3, 1867.

IMPROVED JAWS FOB. STEEL 'TRAPS.

TO ALL'WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM RICHTER, of the city of Lansing, in the county of Ingham, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Jaws of Steel Traps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in making and welding or otherwise securely fastening'to the external edges'of the jaws of steel traps, or as near to their external edges as practicable, certain particular'elbowshaped prongs or clutches, in the mnnnerhereinafter described and forthe purpose set forth.

In the drawings, A represents ope of the jaws of a steel. strap, and a a the elbow-shaped prongs or clutches, To make these elbowshaped prongs or clutches, and attach them to the jaws of steel traps, I take pyramidal, conical, or spindle-shaped bars of any suitab'lemetal, in length from one-fourth to one-half the length of the jaws of the trap, and heatand bend them at right angles as near as practicable.

Figure 1 represents one of these angularly-bent bars or elbow-shapedprongs, usually designated clutches, and in this specification, wherever the word clutches is used, these angularIy-bent bars or elbow-shaped prongs are specifically intended and referred to. To attach the clutches to the jaws of the trap, I detach the jaws from theirbearings in the trap, and take oneof the jaws and any suitable number of clutches to be attached thereto, and lay thejaw down with the edge that shuts against the other jaw upward, andthe other or external edge downward, and resting on the large ends of the clutches, with the bodies of the clutches extendingrradially from the arch of the jaw, and the prong ends of the clutches directed perpendicularly, and in this position the jaw and clutches are to be welded or otherwise securely fastened together Should the jaw bc'of cast iron, and sufiiciently large for the purpose, holesmay be drilled near the external od'ge,-.and the largeends of the clutches fitted therein and riveted or brazed fast.

. Figure 2 is a. vertical view of a jaw resting on two clutches, and-fastened thereto as justdescribcdi The.

prong ends of the clutches dov not appear represented in this figure.

Figure 3'is.a perspectiveIview-of the same jaw and two clutches attached, wherein -the"pron'g cndsoi the clutches and all other material parts are shown.

I then fasten clutches to the other jaw of the trap, so as to make a counterpart to the first jaw'and its clutches. -Injurious collision of the points or prong ends of the clutches of one jaw with those bf the othcr I jaw is prevented by the play of the jaws in their bearings, and by keeping the prong ends of clutches needle-pointed. In addition, the bodies of the clutches may beset or bent at little from a perfect radial position, so asto direct the points to pass each other without'touching. When a pair ofjaws with clutches attached are completed as aforesaid, they may be used as patterns bywhich others may be cast.

The skillful workman, after he shall clearly have conceived the nature of my invention, will, with a little practice, readily cut out, forge and form a jaw with a suitable number of clutches, from a single piece of iron, without any welding. The jaws of the trapflvith clutches attached, are to be placed in their hearings in the trap the same as though there were no 'clutches. The trap is then ready for use, and is to be halted, set, and

managed for catching animals as all common steel traps are managed.

The principal advantage of the invention is thatwhen; the trap is sprung by an animal the clutches of one jaw are rapidly forced toward those of the other jaw, and their, needle-pointed prong ends being straight to'the angles of the clutches, and reachingfurther out than the jaws, readily pierce the animal'right and left in the head, neck, shoulders, or other parts of the body, higher up than the jaws catch, eifectually engrappling the animal so that it cannot escape, even if it gnaw ofl its foot or leg at the place caught by thejaws of the trap,

and from which cause twenty-five to fifty per cent. of the animals, highly pestiferous in character or valuable.

for their furs, escape from all common steel traps.

' Having thus described my invention, what I clai-m, und desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of the clutches, of the particular form and shape specified, constructed and attached to or near the external edges of the jaws of steel traps, substantially as above described and for the purpose set forth. i

WM. RICHTER.

Witnesses:

E. P. Nnwen'o, A. R. Looms. 

